starlightcafe | Here I am, and I'm hoping you can understand.

It was something that got easier, telling people who she was. After Unca Scrooge and Louie, she'd been dead set on telling her family back home before she told anyone else. Lena and Violet had been filled in shortly after that, in part so Lexi could have Lena help her pick out some new clothes. She still loved her old hoodie, but it was definitely boxy and overall boyish, so she preferred just wearing it around the house these days. For that day's meet-up with Gobo, she'd opted for a long button-up shirt - green, of course - along with some gold-colored bangles that had been a gift from her mother after she'd told her. While she wasn't sure it would be a clearly feminine look to Gobo, she felt nice wearing it. That was all she was going for, more or less. Gobo didn't know yet, because it had only been a couple days, and they both kept busy at times. Well, Gobo kept busy, with exploring and map-making... Lexi, on principle, tried not to be busy ever.

Her bangles jingled against each other on her wrist as she headed down the Fraggle Hole - she'd gotten pretty familiar with the spot near her home, over the years. And Gobo was making most of the trek, not her, so she didn't have to worry beyond that, really. As she made her way through that first stretch of underground tunnel, she found herself humming. It was just something about being down there, and she was sure that was why the humming eventually grew into soft singing.

"And I know
I'll find my way -
I'm closer every day
To someone I can be,
No, it's not easy,
But you can figure it out with me."

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"I mean you don't know a lot, dummy. You make it too easy," Lexi said with a smirk.

Okay, so she'd really meant she wasn't sure if the concept would be totally alien to a Fraggle, or something, but the fact that Fraggles were utterly clueless was still true.

He gave her a mock glare, snorting some. "I know plenty of things! How can I help it if you Silly Creatures are so weird, eh?"

"Yeah, sure, I'm weird. Even though you're the one who eats construction sites," Lexi pointed out.

"Yeah, that're made from radishes. Can I help it if Doozer sticks are delicious?"

"Didn't you have to be told they were made from radishes? I'm sorry, what was that you were saying before about knowing stuff?"

He stammered a moment, then settled for shoving her back over, as little a "fall" as that would even be. Almost immediately after, he started laughing, unable to keep it from bubbling up any longer.

Lexi didn't even fight the shove or the fall, laughing as well. "See, I'm right," she said with pride, before sitting back up - fully, this time. She rolled her shoulders back and smiled.

"Now my back's stiff. And people say you're good for me," she commented idly, with another little laugh.

"I didn't tell you to keep laying on the ground." His giggles ebbed off naturally, though still broke through a bit here and there.

"People really say that?"

"Look, you should know by now that if I'm lying down, I'm not going to want to get up." Lexi shrugged. "And yeah. My mom and Unca Scrooge, mostly."

"Wow, that- that's really nice of them." He laughed gently. "I don't know what to say. I hadn't really noticed anything special-" He paused and waved a hand. "Not that our friendship isn't special!" He snorted.

"What I meant was, you seem just like anyone else I've ever hung out with, especially now. It's... Actually kinda like being with another Fraggle when we hang out."

"Don't get a big head about it," Lexi said, though her smile remained in place. "I never thought about it, either, until Unca Scrooge pointed out it."

But of course, Scrooge - either one - was one of the few people who she ever really put stake in what they said. So when he'd brought it up, she'd thought about it. He'd gently worked a lot of it out of her, really, and while it hadn't been the easiest thing to discuss - emotions never were - it had been an interesting conversation.

But rather than relate all that to Gobo, or explain the person she used to be, she just shrugged with a quick laugh, and patted Gobo's arm. She didn't know how to say it - and didn't think she really needed to - but she was thankful to him, for how he'd helped her open up.

"I never get a big head about anything!" Another put-upon scoff. But after, there was a gentle smile. Though she hadn't said anything, he seemed to get it all anyway, and slung an arm around her shoulders to pull her into a hug.

Lexi sighed affectionately at the hug, giving Gobo a quick squeeze in return.

"Pretty sure you do that all the time, but okay," she chuckled.

He kept an arm- and after a moment, his tail -around her, and snickered some.

"Name one."

"Okay, but you asked for this," she snorted. "How about the time you were so sure you knew where we were going - even though it was a part of the tunnels you'd never been to before? And we ended up in that weird... Underground quicksand-y swamp? Or when you decided you knew how to use an oven? Oh! Or how about when we met in the first place because you couldn't leave well enough alone after tripping three of my traps?"

That got a nudge which, in such close proximity, had him using his entire body to shove against her.

"First, I said one. Secondly..." He tightened his arm around her shoulders and leaned his head closer, until they were touching. "Look at all the fun we've had together! And you remember it all. That says pretty much everything it needs to, doesn't it."

They did have fun - and even the messiest of misadventures were fond memories with some time, when it was them. Lexi smiled.

"Yeah. I guess it does."

A last little squeeze before he pulled away, giving her a bright smile before he moved, rocking up to his feet.

"Hey, why don't we take a walk, see where we end up?"

His smile widened some, as he offered a hand down to help her up.

Lexi wasn't gung-ho about exploring, like the rest of her family. She likely never would be, but... Sometimes, maybe it wasn't so bad. Palling around with Gobo? That was always fun in the end.

So she took his hand, and got to her feet, nodding. Who knew where they'd end up, and what sort of mess they might get into? She sure didn't, but she did know they'd get out of it all okay - together.

Here I am, and I'm hoping you can understand.

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